Musical Elements and Language
What's covered
Key facts
Articulation and performance techniques
Arco means playing a string instrument with the bow.
Dynamics
Crescendo means gradually getting louder.
Form and structure
Binary form has two sections, A and B (AB).
Harmony and cadences
Diatonic harmony uses only notes that belong to the key.
Instruments and sonority
The brass family includes trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba.
Melody
An anacrusis is one or more notes before the first strong beat (an upbeat).
Metre and time signatures
In compound time the beat divides into three (e.g. 6/8, 9/8, 12/8).
Music technology
Amplification makes a sound louder using electronic equipment.
Musical styles and periods
The Baroque period (c.1600–1750) features ornamentation and basso continuo; e.g. J.S. Bach.
Rhythm and note values
Chaal is the characteristic bhangra rhythm played on the dhol.
Sample questions
A taste of the 143 questions in this topic, answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
What does staccato mean?
- •Gradually louder
- •Plucked strings
- ✓Short, detached notes
- •Smooth, connected notes
What does forte (f) mean?
- •Fast
- ✓Loud
- •Quiet
- •Smooth
Which form has three sections in an ABA pattern?
- •Binary
- •Rondo
- •Strophic
- ✓Ternary
Which two chords form a perfect cadence?
- •I to IV
- •IV to I
- ✓V to I
- •V to vi
Which instrument belongs to the string family?
- ✓Cello
- •Clarinet
- •Timpani
- •Trumpet
What does conjunct (stepwise) melodic movement mean?
- •Jumping straight up by an octave
- •Moving by large leaps between notes
- ✓Moving by step to neighbouring notes
- •Repeating the same note many times
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